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By Madu Obi
To end the problem of building collapse and ensure that all building regulations and standards are strictly adhered to, the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) of Anambra State has issued directives which developers must meet.
Essentially, the directive stipulates that all buildings, whether residential and commercial, exceeding two floors in the capital territory, must be backed up by soil, material and structural integrity report.
Also, four copies of building plans must be submitted to ACTDA, while one will go to the Anambra State Material Testing Laboratory Agency.
Other requirements are that there must be raft foundation for all buildings above two floors in Ifite and Agu-Awka layouts of Awka City, while all proposed building developments from two floors upwards in Awka Capital Territory will no longer receive approval except backed up by a soil, material, and structural integrity test report as directed by ACTDA.
The directives further added:
*All ongoing building projects in Awka Capital Territory, if found to have any structural default or defect during site/stage inspection must be subjected to a nondestructive test by the Anambra State Material Test Laboratory Agency; and
*Having discovered that some developers sometimes deviate from the building approvals issued to them, all buildings under construction in Awka Capital Territory must resubmit their project development approvals for revalidation and recertification by ACTDA for current stage inspection.
Similarly, the directive says that all building projects must be undertaken or executed by registered professional Structural Engineers who must be certified and confirmed by COREN and developers must notify ACTDA of the commencement of a project, at least seven days before commencement of the foundation set-out.
It warned that building projects not completed or not commenced after two years of approval must be revalidated, while people should not live in or be allowed to sleep in buildings under construction.
It also said that no construction work should exceed 7 pm, irrespective of the environmental lighting.
It directed developers to obtain Builder’s Liability and Public Liability Insurance before approval is granted to safeguard both the site workers and the public around the project site in case of any eventuality.
This, it stated, is to protect developers from legal liabilities arising from any form of injury or death
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